Pneumatic pump.



H. S. ROGERS.

PNEUMATlC PUMP.. APPLIcATmM man 0501.191@

yclins-cd. The floatl IS will UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE;

HOMER S. ROGERS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN R. BALL, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PNEUMATIC PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented -luty :50, 15H8.

Application tiled December 1, 1916. Serial No. 134,226.

f/'u all 'ze/fom. it 'ln/ry fourrer/l.'

Be it; known that l. llonnu citizen if the t'nted States. residing at itIilwaulnee. in the county of Milwaukee and State of 'iseonsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lneumatic lumps, of which the following is a specifiA (ration` reference being had to the aecompanying drawing, forming a part thereof. This invention relates t0 pneumatie pumps and the objects of the invention are to improve pneumatic hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawing which aeeone panies this specification and forms a part, hereof, which drawingr illustrates an embodi- S. ltounus, a

ment of this invention. the illustration is a ,vertical section of a pneumatiepump. i Referring to the drawing, the reference nmneral 1 designates a base which lis pre`V vided with a water inlet valve i'. anda water outlet valve 3. The top 4 is provided with an air exhaust port 5. an air inlet port (i, a guide 't' and a standard 8. The base l and the, top 4 are connected by a easing tl to loi-m a Dumb chamber-1t). The. reference numeral l1 designates the. water outlet pipe and 12 the compressed air inlet pipe. A fluid aetuated motor is formed by the diaphragm 13 and the cap 14- and the cap 14 is provided with the bleed vent 15. A pipe 1G, of greater area than the bleed vent 15, communicates with the space between the diaphragm 13 and eap 14 and its lower end extending below the low water level in the pmnp chamber 1U so that it; will be water sealed at all times. which is aetuated by the float, IH eontrols the eonnnunieation between the pump chamber 10 and the tluid actuated motor. 'lhis valve 17 is elosed by the buoyaney of the float, 1S lult the floaty need exert no great. buoyancy as the. valve is kept closed by the difference between the pressure in the pump chamber It) and the pressure in pipe lt. This ditl'crenee in4 pressure will keep the valve 17 closed. as the. water level falls in the pump.chamber 1U, until so much of the float 18 is out of water that its weight will overcome the pressure keeping the `valve I7 then drop. or sink in the water quiekly'and pop the valve 17 open suddenly. because the pressures-en opposite sides of the valve 17 will be equalized and the float 1H an'd valve IT can fall by pumpsl in the mannerto be preferably has-` A valve 17' gravity until the float has sunk to its line, or plupe, of flotation.

',l`he air exhaust port 5 exhaust valve lil whieh is guided by the pivotcd lever Ztl. The air supply valve I is closed by the lever :.land is opened by grayity and the pressure ot the compressed air. v

'l`he weighted lloat` valve ttl should |be buoyant enough to be floated up against its seat-by the water and should be light enough to be held against its seat by the dllll'ercnec between the pressure in the pump t'hamber is eontrolled by an 1t) and the pressure iu the exhaust Iport 5.

rl`he exlm-ustvalve lil is referrer to as a weighted float. *valve because it must be heavy enough to #lose the air valve 2l by liftingrl its weight and overcoming the pressure ol: the compressed air upon it. yet must be light, enough to lloat in the water and light enough so that the ditlerenec between the pressure of the air in the pump chamber ltl and the pressure in the exhaust port Il will keep the valve seated.

A plunger 22 is normally held in an clevated position by a spring Il but can be foret-d down by the @diaphragm l-S to l'oree the float valve l!) away from its seat to open the exhaust port,

'lhe operation ofthe pump is as follows: 'lhe parts are shown by the drtnvings in the positions whieh they oceupy when the water is being forced out. of the pump chamber 1U. 'heu the water level falls sullieiently below the ton ot' the lloat 1H so that the weight of the lloat overeomes the pressure whieh is keeping the valve IT 'closed the valve 17 will be opened quiekly. water will be foreed suddenly through the plpe lt and foree the diaphragm l and the plunger' :22 down and force the weighted lloat valve 19 away from. its seat whereby the pressures on its opposite sides will be equalized and it will drop elosiug the air valve :il and pcrmitting the compressed air in the pump chamber ltl to exhaust. 'l`he water outlet, valve 5l will be closed by its spring and the water inlet valve 2 will open as water flows into the pump chamber ltl. .\s the water ills the pump chamber lll. the lloat` I8 will rise and close valve 17. 'The .spring 23 will raise the plunger J2 and the diaphragm 13 fort-ing water out through the bleed vent .\s tbe water ll-el continues to rise in the pmnp chamber lt). the weighted lloat valve 19 will be raised toward its seat and the air valve 21 will be opened permitting compressed air to rush into the pump chamber 10. If the weighted float valve 19 has not quite reached its seat, the rush of com pressed air tryin to escape through the exhaust port 5' wiliiseat the valve firmly.

The exhaust port valve 19 has been re ferred to as weighted and it will, of course, be understood that its weight must be sufficient, when multiplied by the leverage of the lever 20, to close the compressed air valve 21, and keep it closed, against the pressure exerted by the compressed air.

iVhen the exhaust port 5 is open, the spring 23 will lift the plunger 22 and the diaphragm 13 and force water out of the pipe 16 into the pump chamber 10, but the bleed .vent 15 also provides for the escape of water and provides a vent. for any air which may separate from the water.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pneumatic pump, the combina tion with a pump chamber, provided with water inlet and outlet valves and airair exhaust port, of an air exhaust valve adapted to close the exhaust port when water has filled the pump chamber and adapted to be retained closed by the difference between the pressures in the pump chamber and outside thereof, a compressed air valve, a fiiid actuated motor for opening the exhaust valve, and means for causing themotor to open the exhaust valve when the water in the pump chamber has been lowered to a predetermined level.

2. In a. pneumatic pump, the combination with a pump chamber, provided with water inlet and outlet valves and an air exhaust port., of a valve for controlling said air exhaust port adapted to be raised toward its seat by the wat/er and adapted to be retained on lts seat bv the difierence between the pressure of the air on opposite *sides thereof, a plunger for forcing said valve from its seat, a fluid actuated motor for operating said plunger, a pipe in communication with said motor and extending below the low water level in the pump chamber so that it will be water sealed at all times, a valve for controlling the flow of water through said pipe, and a float adapted to close said valve bybunyaney and open it by gravity.

3. In a pneumatic pump, the combination with a pump chamber, provided with water inlet and outlet valves and compressed air inlet and exhaust valves, a lever pivoted between Ithe air inlet and exhaust valves so that the compressed aijr tends to close the exhaust valve and a duid actuated motor for opening the exhaust valve and closing the cempressedair inlet valve, when the water level in the pump chamber has been lowered to a predetermined level, by the pressure of the compressed air in the pump chamber, the exhaust valve being adapted to be`-closed as the water level in the pump chamber rises and to be kept closed, as the water level lowers, by the difference between the pressures in the pump chamber and outside thereof.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my sig` nature.

HOMER S. ROGERS. 

